Federal Labor has poured cold water on a US view that Australia will play a greater military role to counter an increasingly belligerent China in the Indo-Pacific region.
US senator John McCain, ahead of a visit to Sydney and Canberra next week, says Australia and the US will achieve "peace through strength" in the Trump administration's new strategy in Asia.
"I think Australia could play a key role particularly since we are witnessing a very large investment in an upgrade and expanded (US) navy in the decade ahead," he told The Australian on Thursday.
"That is an affirmation of Ronald Reagan's commitment, which is peace through strength, and we see the Chinese asserting control in areas of the East China Sea and South China Sea that is clearly in violation of international law."
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong insists Australia for many years has navigated the security alliance with the US and its major economic relationship with China.
"Governments of both political persuasions have pursued both of those relationships constructively and we will continue to do so," she said.
"We want a stable region. We want a peaceful region."
The Labor frontbencher described Senator McCain as a long-standing friend of Australia.
"We want continued constructive US engagement in this region and we want a constructive relationship with China," Senator Wong said.
Senator McCain's remarks follow those of former foreign minister Bob Carr, who argued Australia had done well to avoid war hawks regarding its foreign policy with China.
"If allies such as Australia sign up for a burst of crusading zeal, they are liable to be hung out to dry when America changes direction," he said.
"No other American ally is as dependent on China for its economic future. If the Turnbull government had been persuaded by the hawks, right now that would be our position: out to dry."
A Lowy Institute poll last year found that only 40 per cent of Australians view China's rise as a very important issue.
When asked to choose whether the US or China was more important to Australia, responses were tied at 43 per cent.
